Reusable package

ABSTRACT

A package comprises a folded-over plastic sheet adhesively secured to a panel. The folded-over sheet comprises an articlecarrying member and cover member which are hinged together and interfit in snap fastener fashion. Extensions on the cover may also be adhesively secured to the panel.

United States Patent Cooper 51 May 30, 1972 [73] Assignee: ScovillManufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn.

[22] Filed: Aug. 24, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 66,241

Weichselbaum ..220/31 S Bostrom ..206/78 B UX Primary ExaminerLeonardSummer AtlarneyDallett Hoopes [57] ABSTRACT A package comprises afolded-over plastic sheet adhesively secured to a panel. The folded-oversheet comprises an arti- 52 US. Cl ..206/45.34, 206/78 B, 220/31 s 511Int. Cl. ..B65d 25/54, 865d 73 00, B65d 43/16 cle'carrymg member andmember whlch are 58 Field of Search ..206/78 B, 45.34; 220 31 5 togetherand inlerfit in p fastener fashion Extensions on the cover may also beadhesively secured to the panel.

56 R r Cited 1 e erences 1 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,4 2,309 8/1969 Szostel .206/78 B 2 F? 4-2 0 A l 7 n.

REUSABLE PACKAGE This invention relates to a reusable package. Morespecifically, this invention relates to a mounted, transparent, reusablepackage which may be ripped off or left on its semi-rigid carrier panelto provide a simple, securely locked, package especially adapted forcarrying multiple small articles such as sewing machine needles.

The prior art is replete with transparent packages of every description.One, for example, is U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,309 to Zostek. In the modifiedversion presented in that patent, the package comprises anarticle-carrying bubble member poked up through a hole in a rigidcarrier panel and a hinged cover which closes down on thearticle-carrying member from the opposite side of the panel. Manystructures of the prior art are deficient in that they do not combineeasy means for removing a fully transparent, semi-rigid, package from acarrier panel and secure means for locking the package closed after itis once opened. The present invention provides for the lack in the priorart.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart from the following specification including the drawings, all ofwhich refer to a non-limiting form of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation having a portion of the cover panel brokenaway to expose the article;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the cover in raised position;and

FIG. 5 is a slightly reduced front view showing the package strippedfrom its carrier panel.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a mounted package embodyingthe invention is shown in FIG. 1 and generally designated 10. Itcomprises a semi-rigid carrying panel which may be a cardboard or thelike, and a package 14 comprising a folded-over sheet of formedtransparent film material.

The sheet comprises an article-carrying member 16 having a centralisland 18 which is surrounded by attaching flanges 20 adhesively securedto the panel. The island 18 has side walls 22 extending outwardly andupwardly on all sides around. The top of the island is preferablyindented in a large area 24 and carries individual indentations 26 tohouse at least half of each carried article.

The folded-over portion 30 is integral with the article-carrying member16 and comprises a cover member. It is formed with a central pocket 32,complementing the island 18 and slightly larger in size. The side wallsof the pocket 32 also extend outwardly and upwardly on all sides aroundwith the result that when the folded overportion 30 is hinged down overthe article-carrying member 16, the pocket 32 snaps over the island 18on all sides to form a socket and stud kind of relationship similar tothat in a snap fastener. As shown, the top surface of the pocket may beindented in a large area 34 and carry upward domes 36 cooperating withthe indentations 26 of the island to house the carried articles.

The flange 20 around the lower island 18 may have outward spacedextensions 38 and the cover member may have an extension 40 staggeredwith respect to the extensions 38. The cover member may also have upperand lower or lateral extensions 42 which extend beyond the flanges 20and may themselves be secured by adhesive to the panel 12 when thepackage is in transport.

In use, the entire folded sheet comprising the article carrier 16 andthe cover 30 may be stripped off the panel 12 to provide a transparentpackage securely closed by the snap-acting cooperating side walls of theisland 18 and pocket 32. These members may be readily hinged open bypulling apart the staggered tabs 38 and 40. Alternatively, if desired,the package may be left mounted on the card 12 and the cover opened bysimply pulling the extension 40.

The invention may be described in the following claim language.

I claim:

1. An article comprising:

a. a semi-rigid carrier panel; and

b. an integral article-carrying member and cover member fomied oftransparent resilient sheet material folded along its center line todefine the two said members, the article-carrying member having a raisedcentral island having undercut shores substantially all the waytherearound, the island having article-receiving indentations therein,the cover member being formed with a central pocket aligned with andslightly larger than the island and having undercut margins whereby thepocket is adapted to snap over the island to hold the article in place,the distal margin of the cover member having an outwardly extendingintegral tab and the distal margin of the article-holding member havingat least one tab coextensive with but laterally staggered with respectto the tab on the cover member, the underside of the article-holdingmember and its tab being adhesively secured to the carrier panel and thetab of the cover member being adhesively secured to the carrier panel,the cover member having lateral extensions which extend beyond thelateral edges of the article-carrying member, the extensions beingsecured to the panel by adhesive,

whereby the cover can be opened by stripping up the tab of the covermember and the entire folded article-carrying member and cover membercan be stripped off the panel.

1. An article comprising: a. a semi-rigid carrier panel; and b. anintegral article-carrying member and cover member formed of transparentresilient sheet material folded along its center line to define the twosaid members, the article-carrying member having a raised central islandhaving undercut shores substantially all the way therearound, the islandhaving article-receiving indentations therein, the cover member beingformed with a central pocket aligned with and slightly larger than theisland and having undercut margins whereby the pocket is adapted to snapover the island to hold the article in place, the distal margin of thecover member having an outwardly extending integral tab and the distalmargin of the article-holding member having at least one tab coextensivewith but laterally staggered with respect to the tab on the covermember, the underside of the article-holding member and its tab beingadhesively secured to the carrier panel and the tab of the cover memberbeing adhesively secured to the carrier panel, the cover member havinglateral extensions which extend beyond the lateral edges of thearticle-carrying member, the extensions being secured to the panel byadhesive, whereby the cover can be opened by stripping up the tab of thecover member and the entire folded article-carrying member and covermember can be stripped off the panel.